Engaging with Pak is a waste The Excelsior 04 Apr 18
Mehbooba Mufti, while interacting with Kashmiri Pundits again made a call for talks with Pak. Whether she made it for public consumption or seeking a lasting solution to Kashmir, remains mired in doubt. Unless the internal mindset in Pak changes, calls for talks are meaningless, should be well known to her. A few examples below illustrate this aspect.
A tweet to me from a Pak national indicated the extent to which history has been twisted to change facts of earlier conflicts. On the Kargil war, the individual commented, ‘There were only twenty Pak soldiers deployed in a Sangar on the Kargil heights, who alone wiped off a complete battalion of the Indian army’. He even quoted a supposed Indian army colonel who was the CO of the battalion.
As per history taught to the youth of Pak there were no other losses which they suffered, never withdrew under pressure and nor is there any mention of their reluctance to claim bodies. The fact that the only general in world history, who rose to be president after suffering a humiliating defeat was Musharraf, remains hidden from the Pak public, thanks to twisted history taught to their youth.
Similarly, the 1965 war has been twisted to claim victory rather than the true realities. Pak celebrates ‘Defence day’ on 5th Sep, as it claims its armed forces thwarted the plans of the Indian military. There is no mention of the reverses it suffered including losing Haji Pir pass. In 2016, just two days before the ‘Defence day’ celebrations, Pak professor, Dr S Akbar Ziadi, stated while interacting with the students of the faculty of social sciences, Karachi University stated, ‘with the celebration of the 1965 war around the corner, there can be no bigger lie that Pakistan won the war. We lost terribly in the 1965 war.’
On Kashmir, history has again been twisted to project India not willing to implement the UN resolution, rather than stating the facts behind the resolution, which Pak has itself failed to implement. Similarly, India has been projected as the oppressor in Kashmir. This while Pak continues to suppress its own population of POK and FATA.
In the recent encounter over the weekend, where 13 militants were eliminated, while three soldiers and four civilians also died, Pak media projected a different story. It stated that India killed 17 so-called ‘suspected Kashmiri militants’. Reports in their newspapers went on to quote that irrespective of Indian actions, the spirit of the Kashmiri’s seeking merger with Pak would never be broken.
Their foreign office comment stated India’s brutal crackdown in Kashmir is an ‘attempt to subjugate and further repress innocent Kashmiri’s’. Thus, within their country, the common man reading such news would carry a different picture and only develop greater hatred towards India. Most Pak media reports play the religious card seeking to project India as a Hindutva nation, enhancing the religious divide.
Further, India is accused of supporting all anti-Pak militants operating from Afghanistan, the Baluch freedom fighters and every other radical group which challenges the Pak state. Kulbhushan Jadhav, kidnapped from Chabahar, is being touted as an Indian spy, whose comments admitting his role are regularly projected on Pak media. When the US threatens Pak for non-action in Afghanistan, they are blamed for toeing the Indian line. When FATF took the decision to place Pak on the ‘grey list’ on US request, Pak claimed India was behind it.
While India has always desired a peaceful LoC, as it assists in countering infiltration and provides security to those residing close, Pak desires the opposite. For the Pak army, an active LoC implies assistance in infiltration. Further, residents along the LoC are either Dogra’s South of the Pir Panjal or anti-Pak north of it, hence it has no qualms targeting them. Simultaneously, it claims India violates the ceasefire and to even convince its public, summons the Indian High Commission staff to lodge protests. It hides figures of its own soldier casualties, while enhancing civilian casualties to enhance internal hatred towards India.
The recent harassment of high commission staff was being projected as only India being responsible, while Pak was always considerate. It was only after the Indian government released details of all its Note-Verbale on daily occurrences of harassment did Pak reduce its anti-India tirade.
While twisting history to turn defeat into victory may be common to nations which have something to hide, twisting daily news enhances local anger and hatred. With such an atmosphere being built amongst the masses within the country, active support to militancy is expected. It is this twisted logic, which engulfs simple Pak youth to joining militant groups and engaging the Indian security forces. Many surrendered militants have claimed that they were projected twisted facts and recruited.
It is with this nation, which daily projects an anti-India picture resulting in its people detesting India, that political leaders including Farooq Abdullah, Omar, Mehbooba Mufti and Mani Shankar Aiyar desire the government initiate talks. No political party within Pakistan can ever suggest talks in its election manifesto, as such an action would ensure the party’s defeat, considering the anti-India wave being created within.
Apart from Nawaz, who had the courage to challenge the Pak army and initiate dialogue with India, no other leader has been able to do the same. He was ousted for his efforts, creating fear within Pak political leaders, none of which have even suggested talks. Those who claim talks, blame India for not initiating the dialogue process. Thus, for the average Pakistani, it is India which is responsible for all its ills, whether it be terrorism, economic, international pressure or non-response to talks.
The Pak public would reject any party which initiates dialogue with India. India, even contemplating talks in such an atmosphere would be meaningless as there would never be any positive outcome. The government clear of the facts has avoided official talks, while it continues to maintain contact at the NSA level, to be able to tone down any impeding crises. History is witness that every single Indian attempt to initiate talks and broker peace has been impeded by Pak militant actions. Thus, unless the offer comes from Pak and is backed by sincere efforts, talks between the two would be meaningless.
In this atmosphere, J and K political leaders, who seemingly appear to be valley biased and demand India initiate talks, appear to be making announcements only for public consumption. They should on the other hand be professing that even thinking of joining Pak would push the valley decades behind where it is at present. Thus, their calls for talks should be ignored and the strong India posture continued.
About the Author
Maj Gen Harsha Kakkar
Retired Major General Indian Army